Light and Love
by patsan
Summary: Inspired by a prompt on Tumblr, this is just a bit of honeymoon fluff, but who doesn't need that now and then?


Inspired by a three words prompt on Tumblr asking "honeymoon, sun, bed", this is a bit of honeymoon fluff turning smuttish at the end, hence the rating. I guess you could consider it a missing moment-I certainly do :P

I also wanted to thank you for all your kind words regarding **Live Them Together**. Chapter two is in the works and I hope to update that story before the end of the year.

As for this story, I want to thank **darkblueyank** for looking over at a first draft and suggesting useful changes.

I do hope you all enjoy :)

**Disclaimer:** Downton Abbey doesn't belong to me and yet I do love having fun with its characters ;)

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**Light and Love**

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She wakes up and she's not sure why.

There is something bothering her, but all is quiet and all is warm and when she breathes in she marvels at how wonderfully comfortable she is.

She exhales and burrows her nose into her pillow, trying to catch the last remnants of sleep before they slip away completely, instinctively knowing that it's too soon to wake up and start her day—and it's not like she's an early raiser anyway.

Gadually her breathing slows, her muscles relax and she feels herself already drifting back to sleep, but here it is again, that something—_what is it?_—bothering her and bringing her back to consciousness.

She squeezes her eyes, shifts a little and…

Something is blocking her hand, she notices.

It's keeping it in a warm hold, _safe_, her mind supplies, and with that her perception slowly comes into focus and she's properly awake.

She opens her eyes and yes, here it is, her own hand lying next to her face and enclosed into his larger one.

Unconsciously, she strokes her thumb over the back of his hand and smiles at the feel of his arm draped over her, of the expanse of his chest pressing against her back.

_Darling. _

She arches back into him slightly and the warmth that she felt at first makes sense now as there's no duvet over her body, no sheet covering her, and yet the gentle breeze coming in from the half closed window doesn't bother her at all.

Mary's eyes dart to the balcony.

Ah, of course. That's what woke her.

She frowns, and covers her eyes as the almost completely open curtains move softly with the soft wind from the ocean and the rays of the early morning sun reach the bed and shine upon her face, usually a most pleasant feeling, but not so when it causes one to wake up from their much needed sleep.

Mary smiles, recalling quite vividly the reason why they both need sleep this morning, then her eyes fall on the floor of the room, and her smile widens.

The sun coming in from the balcony colours the floor and bathes in a golden glow their evening clothes scattered on it—his tie lies closer to the bed, along with the jacket of Matthew's suit, but her stockings are a little farther, one on the floor close to the dressing table, the other hanging over the wooden frame of the mirror of all places. Her evening dress forms a perfect circle right in the middle of the room, where it fell off her body very quickly, thanks to fervent fingers and a rather impatient mouth.

Mary feels herself blush as she remembers the events of the previous night, how they hurried to their room after a long evening of dancing and flirting and teasing each other, how an elderly couple almost caught them kissing and touching rather scandalously in a dark corner of the gardens, how they laughed a bit embarrasses after the incident and then looked at each other and decided that they didn't care for the silly party their hotel was hosting for the guests, that they could dance freely enough on their own.

And they had done just that, long into the night, moving in a dance that doesn't require any music at all.

Mary watches her dress lying on the floor of their hotel room and she can't find it in herself to care one bit that it will be crumpled and dirty by the time her lady's maid will come to pick it up later today. She should probably gather it herself—and her stockings and tell Matthew to grab his clothes—before dear Anna comes in to help her prepare for the day, she thinks, but then, Anna has been with them for over two weeks now and a few clothes here and there would hardly scandalise her at this point.

She grins at the thought and not for the first time wonders at the constant happiness that accompanies her these days, seeping into her every bone, it seems, leaving her constantly smiling, like a schoolgirl.

She sighs and shakes her head at her own silliness and just then a gust of wind blows through the curtains and they wave and move and again the sun finds her face and she has to shield her eyes.

She huffs in annoyance and hides her face in her pillow and that's when she feels Matthew stir behind her, his hand finally releasing hers and moving down on the mattress beside her, finding the sensitive skin of her stomach and cradling her to him even in his sleep.

Mary's smiles turns tender as she covers his hand with hers but when she looks up again and rests her cheek on the pillow the sun blinds her momentarily, and she crinkles her nose in annoyance, thinking that the only way she will be able to go back to sleep now is to rouse herself and shut these curtains.

Of course, there is no way she is doing just that.

She rolls onto her back, pushing against Matthew, part of her feeling quite indignant that he can sleep so peacefully when she cannot.

He frowns in his sleep and mumbles something she doesn't understand, maybe feeling her irritation on some level, and then the silliest smile curves his lips and Mary can't help but laugh a little at how expressive his face can be even in his sleep.

She knows, as she's spent a fair amount of time learning his features as he drifts off next to her at night—he is the one who falls asleep first most nights, but he is always the first of them to wake up, which makes being already awake this morning quite unusual, although, Mary thinks as she reaches for his face and gently strokes his cheek, not completely unpleasant.

She bends over, placing a kiss on his nose, and leans back, watching him a moment more and then touching her lips to his.

She is not trying to wake him, truly, but all the same she is thrilled when she feels his arm languidly move around her, his fingertips slightly pressing into her back.

He catches her hand with his free one and brings it to his mouth, kissing it softly.

He opens his eyes slowly, looks at her and smiles, resting her hand on his chest.

"What's wrong?" he asks after a moment, voice thick with sleep.

"The sun," she grumps and when he raises an eyebrow in confusion, she adds, "it woke me."

"Ah… How impertinent," he murmurs, a smile in his voice.

"I'll let you know it's very bothering. I was sleeping so peacefully in your arms and it decided it needed to jab me with its rays."

He laughs softly and his arms tighten around her.

"Come here, it's won't bother you now, go back to sleep," he says with a yawn.

He brings her closer, putting her head in the hollow of his neck.

Mary closes her eyes and tries to relax, but the room is too bright and as she feels Matthew already drift back to sleep she sighs and lifts her head to look at him.

"There's too much light," she complains, "I can't."

"Close the curtains and come back to bed then," he murmurs, releasing her, but Mary shuffles closer, burrowing her face into his shoulder and Matthew's arms immediately come around her again.

"I don't want to," Mary says against his skin. He stays silent but she knows he is smiling at her childish behaviour. Her lips curve into a knowing smile. "And I'm naked," she adds with a little shrug. "Someone could see me through the window."

She raises an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to open his eyes, and when he does there's a twinkle there that matches the slow curve of his lips.

"So you are…" he says, voice low, one of his hands moving down her spine, to the small of her back and lower, giving her bottom a good squeeze.

Mary swats him on the chest and he laughs and in spite of his impudence she can't help but smile with him.

"You are enjoying that I'm cross," she scolds him, but there's no anger behind her words.

"Not one bit," he lies and in a swift move he brings her almost completely on top of him, one hand taking hold of her face.

He kisses her languidly at first, his lips coaxing hers apart, as their breath mingle and a shiver of excitement runs through her.

She shifts, wanting to feel more of him, her hands moving to his hair, running down his chest and sides as their kiss deepens.

He pulls her higher and her breath catches in her throat as she can feel just how awake Matthew is at the moment.

She can feel him smile against her mouth as he presses her upper body against his chest, his hand tangling in her hair.

_Two can play at this game_, she thinks, and she lets her legs fall on either side of him, rolling her hips very deliberately into him.

He groans and breaks their kiss and Mary leans back grinning, finally meeting his eyes.

He opens his mouth to say something but just then the annoying sun decides it's time to bother Mary again and she squeezes her eyes shut and turns her head, and then hides her face against his shoulder.

Matthew's chuckle irritates her a bit, but his arms come around her, holding her to him, fingers moving soothingly over her skin.

"Are you laughing at me?" she ask, her voice muffled.

"I wouldn't dare..."

"Good."

She rest her cheek on his shoulder then and he kisses the top of her head as her arms close around him and for some reason she's reminded of an old cat that lived on the grounds of Downton and used to wander in the kitchen when she was a little girl. The animal seemed to have a constant frown on its face, and much to everyone's surprise it liked to curl around Mrs. Patmore's feet when she rested a bit in a chair and the cook didn't seem to mind, at least not till Mr. Carson came in and then she made a great scene of kicking the cat out and "never come back or I'll skin you alive myself!"

Mary giggles at the memory and for a moment she wonders if there will be a cat around when her children will wander downstairs at Downton.

That is, if there will be a Downton Abbey that's theirs by the time her children will be able to walk and run into the servants' quarters.

She sighs as she thinks about what they left back in Yorkshire, Papa's troubles and Swire's inheritance, and how all that almost convinced her she could not marry Matthew.

There is no doubt in her mind now that that would have been a terrible mistake, but she hopes her Papa will have found a solution by the time they go back home, otherwise…

But she doesn't want to think about it, not here, not now, not in their little haven, even though a part of her can't ignore it completely and that part is terribly scared.

"Is everything alright?" Matthew asks and Mary shakes her head.

"I was thinking about home."

Matthew's eyes are gentle as he watches her for a moment. Then his hand comes up to caress her face and she leans into his touch.

"Do you miss it terribly?"

"Not terribly, but sometimes I do miss it."

_And I am worried_, she thinks, but she doesn't say it.

She doesn't need to, because he knows, and because he is worried too.

He leans up and kisses her lightly.

"We'll think of something," he says, close to her face. "Together. I promise."

She lifts her face and nods, closing one eye because of the bloody sun.

Matthew laughs as he notices and Mary frowns down at him.

"It really does bother you, doesn't it?"

She rolls her eyes, covering one side of her face with her hand.

"You do know, I think you should get up and close these curtains."

"Me?"

"Of course! I am your wife, shouldn't my well-being always come first in your mind? Shouldn't you be doing all that I require to please me?"

His grin turns cheeky and she knows what's coming.

He leans in closer.

"There are many ways in which I can please you, my darling, and moving out of this bed is not one of them," he says and then he kisses her again, deeply this time, and she sighs into his mouth.

She grabs his neck as they slowly shift and then Mary finds herself on her side, facing the window, Matthew lying between her and the annoying glow coming from outside.

She smiles as she realises what he's done, her smart, smart husband.

She breaks their kiss and grins at him approvingly.

"Good move."

He gives her a rather pleased smile and then his lips move down her neck, his hands pressing into the skin of her back and legs.

Mary closes her eyes, breathing heavily as need and desire quickly rise inside of her.

His lips slide over her shoulder and collarbone and she is suddenly very aware that even shielded as she is by Matthew's body, they are very much naked while the curtains of their balcony are still very much open.

Their room is hardly in the line of sighting of those walking by the shore, but even so...

"Someone could see us," she breathes, gripping his shoulder to bring him to stop, but she only succeeds into bringing him up.

Matthew kisses her lips briefly.

"They can't see you, darling," he murmurs against her ear, his hot breath making her shiver, and Mary knows that she should try harder to stop him, but it's so easy to forget all that she'd been taught when she is in Matthew's arms.

And when he grabs her leg and moves it over his own and up still, over his side, pulling her to him, Mary presses her calf and foot against the back of his thighs, instinctively urging him on, holding her breath as his hand slides around the curve of her bottom and slowly, finally, they come together with a sigh.

She buries her face into his neck as he starts moving inside of her, her arms closing around him as they find their rhythm, heat building slowly but steadily between them, breath becoming quicker, shallower.

Mary gasps for air at the mounting pleasure, fingers digging desperately into his shoulders as her lips find his neck and press fervently against his skin, and when her head rolls back and her eyes open at the sudden wave of hot bliss rocking her whole body and the morning sun blinds her again, it's not annoyance she feels, nor irritation, as all comes together in a blur of sensation and light and love.

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**The End**

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_So... thoughts? _

_Till next time ;)_


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